Author's Notes: I have been thinking about Lois and Clark as per usual. The 90s series kept her in the dark for two years and we will stick to that scenario for now. I found the graphic novel, Superman: Birthright, published in 2004, meaning it is an AU. Reading certain scenes, it stirred my Muse to continue the one shot. You should read it to get caught up. Keep reading and I hope you enjoy it and please review. Thank you.
~o~o~
Chapter 2: Not Alone
Two weeks ago, the Daily Planet:
It's an adjustment for Clark, the big city and the constant noises that flowed through his sensitive hearing and the voices were loud and never-ending. He closed his mind as the voices finally were quiet enough to enable him to move forward. He stood outside the massive building and wondered again if this interview would be a waste of time.
He pushed his glasses up his nose, and with his back straight, a hope in his heart, he would get the job, Clark approached the bullpen not sure what to expect. With his resume' in hand, he opened the door and was at once bombarded with noises coming from every direction. But the one conversation he noticed first was a man screaming at a young man with a camera around his neck.
"Because I own you, you intern twit!" The older man hollered and emptied a small trash can over his head. "Now, you will wear this wastebasket on your head so you can hear the gentle reinforcing echo as you say one hundred times, 'Mr. Galloway asked me for strawberry, not berry-banana' Ready Jack?"
"Um… it's 'Jim' actually," Jimmy said with his hands over his head to protect his head from the trash.
"Your name is whatever I put on your too-generous paycheck, you Lout!" Galloway yelled in his face.
Clark watched the scene and wanted to say something to stop this then, he asked a gentleman standing nearby, "That's not Perry White, is it?"
"Oh, God no. That's Quentin Galloway, the publisher," the stranger replied.
"Does he treat everyone in the newsroom like this?"
"Today is one of his good days. Man, this is hard to watch, but you know," he replied as he walked away.
Clark continued to watch the scene as he broke a pen behind his back needing to smack that smug look off Galloway's face. No sooner did he began to approach the scene, a woman behind him hollered "Hey! His name is Jimmy Olsen."
"Jim," he said correcting her and wiped the yogurt off his sweater.
Lois Lane had more to say, facing Galloway, she said, "His name is Jimmy, not Lout, not Twit! Do you think you're a big shot? Do you think publicly humiliating an employee because you're in a bad mood about yogurt; it's small and petty."
Galloway had more insults. "Lois Lane, didn't you used to be somebody? Why aren't you on the trail of some UFO or crop circle or some other slow news day?" He crossed his arms proud of himself.
"Back off, you pay for our work, not our dignity. I do not like bullies, and you will not push people around just because you're bigger, not while I'm here." Lois gave him the stink eye.
Clark listened to her then he whispered to himself, "I think I'm in love."
Galloway will not be intimidated, then he said, "And when exactly are you here Ms. Lane? With travel vouchers for Kuala Lumpur, Toronto, Gulfport, Mississippi? Six months ago, you had a reputation; you had respect, not mine, of course, but apparently that of your peers. But that's before you locked onto some fairy tale and began following so-called leads all over the world. A gravity-defying strong man in khakis and a leather jacket who does honorable deeds! La de da!"
Lois stood her ground. "Look, my investigation isn't done, and you're changing the subject. You want to have a temper tantrum, be my guest, but if you want an efficient news organization full of adults, stop poisoning it with childlessness!" She came closer to get her point across. "You are a leader; I expect better from you." That did it; he walked away,
"You are my hero," Jim said behind her.
She smiled then, "Get back to work." He scurried away.
"Wow," Clark said still staring at her.
"Pardon?" Lois whispered to her left.
"Just well-handled." He paused and stared at her. "You will be here tomorrow, right?"
"Mr. Kent? Editor White will see you now," Jim said.
"Kent, Clark Kent? You filed that piece on Asuru?" Lois asked.
Stunned, Clark replied, "You read it?"
"Turn up the volume. What?" She frowned, not hearing him.
"I said, you read it?" Clark spoke up louder.
"Yeah," she replied.
He frowned. "That doesn't sound like you were impressed."
"No, I mean, yes. But from your writing, the way you come across in print, I just assumed you would be… I don't know… taller?" She asked teasing him.
Clark stood there staring at her thinking, Lois Lane was searching… for me.
A moment then, "Mr. Kent, he's waiting," Jim said as that broke the tension.
"Oh, right behind you," he said and followed Jim. Smiling, then 'Wow."
~o~o~
In Perry's office, Clark is waiting for Mr. White to read his resume` but he's frozen in his chair, unable to forget that Lois Lane searched for him, unsure if he should speak up, say something, anything.
After a minute, Perry spoke up. "You can't be real."
"In… what way, Mr. White?"
"Come on, Kent! You've been sitting, squirming and staring at your shoes for ten minutes. No one's shoes are that interesting." No answer, he came around his desk and stood over him then. "How did someone as shy as you get an interview with Qerizan terrorists? Or Chief Justice Benton?" He asked after reading his resume`. "Why aren't you a bank teller? Why do you want to work here?"
"I… well…" he hesitated to gather his thoughts. He had rehearsed an answer for hours.
"Spit it out Kent!"
He closed his eyes for a moment then he slowly stood up to his full height over 6' and some inches. "Because Mr. White, you have the fastest, most reliable news service in the world. Whenever a story happens, the Planet gets it first and has it webbed and in print while the New York Times is still fishing for sources. Your staff is that good and I'm that good."
Perry is stunned but before he could reply to that statement, Lois knocked and entered.
"I'm sorry to interrupt but I have an urgent scoop on a story; it can't wait," Lois said.
He felt relieved. "Come in Lois. Mr. Kent and I were almost done."
Lois stared at him. Clark stared at her unable to form any thoughts but one.
Perry noticed it, then, "Lois Lane meet Clark Kent. Lois, now please listen for a minute. Kent is a little shy around the edges but he's a promising writer. I haven't decided yet whether he's a fit for the Planet, but how about you show him the ropes around here for a while and he can learn a lot from you. You are the best."
Both stunned as they continued to stare, then Lois spoke up, "But what about my story?" She held up a copy.
He took it. "I'll read it later. Kent, you two get better acquainted while I read this." Neither of them moved. "Go on now, get to work."
~o~o~
As she showed him a desk he could use, she still felt stunned by this unexpected turn of events. She watched him get settled, inwardly sighed and helped him logon to his computer.
"Thanks, Ms. Lane," he said still staring at her.
"You're welcome," she said, then "You can call me Lois." She paused. "I guess we're partners now?"
"Yeah, I suppose we are." He stood up and held out his hand for her to shake it.
She hesitated, then she shook it, and yes sparks flew all over the place.
They stared at their joined hands unsure what is happening.
"Welcome to the Planet," she said and smiled at him.
"Well, I haven't gotten the job yet." He sat back down and stared at a blank page then he got an idea.
"The staff meeting is in half an hour. Perry will give us a story. Don't worry about it," she said.
He tried to feel encouraged. "Thanks… Lois."
"No problem."
He watched her head over to her desk and he tried to get to work. Still his memories of five years ago seemed fixated on his life as a journalist in Ghana and his experience in authoring a story of an uprising, meeting Kobe Asuru and the night he died. Clark did feel proud that both Lois and Mr. White had seen and read his article in the Ghana Dispatch. Clark continued to stare at her as his memories returned to the night of the exclusive interview with Superman and Lois Lane.
~o~o~
Back to the present:
As the memories faded, he may have revealed his feelings about her during the interview meaning their connection that seemed to him occurred the moment they had met, the shuttle and the fact that she did not appear afraid of him, only curious about his powers. She may not feel that way about him, but he would take his time and continue to collaborate with her as Clark Kent until the time is right.
His first day at the Planet, Perry put them together as partners for her to show him the ropes and he's fine with it but she's not keen on the idea. She made that clear for the past several weeks by ignoring him. He sighed and got back to work but then he looked up when she approached his desk.
"Hey, we have a story to investigate. Come with me," she instructed and waited for him to follow her.
"Oh, I'm right behind you," he said and followed her, but his sensitive hearing picked up instructions coming from outside the window. "What is happening?" He whispered to himself and walked over to the window.
"Kent, are you coming?" She asked him. Was he listening to something? She wondered.
"Get down!" He quickly hollered, then he grabbed her arm and moved her to a desk from a missile that hit the building as it shook on impact. He stood up and wondered what to do, but he knew. This is it. "I'm going outside to check and see what happened. Everyone please exits the building and use the stairs," he hollered to the stunned staff.
"What are you going to do?" Lois asked as she turned to leave the bullpen.
He didn't answer her but left her staring after him. He entered the stairwell, the furthest from the bullpen door, and flew up instead of down. Now on the roof, he spotted two battle choppers but no one is inside of them. Someone was piloting them by remote control; he had to stop them. He ripped open his shirt, now in the suit, he flew up and there appeared no other way; they had to be destroyed. But where did they come from and what were their intentions besides hurting people and destroying property? He wondered.
Moments later but after more missiles hit the building and other buildings as well, he narrowed his eyes and listened and instructions for the battle choppers came into his hearing. The choppers fired at him, but the missiles bounced off his chest, but he managed to stop them one by one by throwing them into the river. Before they were destroyed, he managed to listen to frantic instructions and he knew where they were coming from… Lex Luthor.
Watching on his computer from LexCorp tower, Lex Luthor is stunned to see what is happening. A flying man in a red cape is destroying millions of dollars of equipment. Then he remembered. Lois Lane's article: Superman. I read it but didn't believe it, but it's true. He is real; he can fly and he's an alien from a different world. Stunned to think any of it is true, he frowned. I have a genuine problem, he thought.
Suddenly he is brought out of his thoughts by one of the pilots. "I know as much as you, Mr. Luthor. Who is he? No visible means of negating gravity, imperious to bullets and explosions and God knows what else…" The line went dead.
"Juris, Juris are you there?" Lex asked then he came back. "Sir, we have a visual. The last chopper has gone down in the river!"
"I'll call you back." Lex watched as Superman appeared in the window outside the tower. Now on the balcony, Lex said, "I would prefer you make an appointment."
"Shut up; two people dead and seventeen injured. Is this what you've come to?" Clark asked furious.
Lex is confused. "What I've come to? I beg your pardon; do I know you?"
"I've never met anyone like you. You can drop the 'innocent businessman' act. You may have fooled this city, but you're not fooling me. You're responsible for this. Innocent people suffered because the remote units in those choppers were sabotaged with ultrasonic signals." He held up one gadget in his hand. "I traced them to this tower office."
Lex is stunned. "You traced these alleged signals how?"
"I saw them," he replied.
"Oh well, that will hold up in court. You know what court is, yes? It's where you will be bankrupt for false accusations and property damage? Where will I find out how you can fly by suing the technology right off your back. Who designed your force-field? Your anti-gravity? Star Labs? Kord Technology?" Clark is silent. "You will answer me!" Lex hollered.
"Are you threatening me?" Clark asked still angry.
"I'm trying to figure you out. Call it whatever you want." He turned at the noise.
Armed guards entered his suite with guns drawn. "Sir, are you all right? We heard an explosion and … " He saw Superman, now on alert. "You freeze."
"NO!" Then, they fired bullets; they bounced off his chest, then he burned the guns from their hands. They screamed and dropped the guns.
Lex is stunned again. "Heat… came out of your eyes… you melted state-of-the-art guns."
"Add it to my bill; you diseased maniac. I don't know why you interfered with this defense test, but I will find out," Clark said.
"May I quote you?" Lois Lane asked as she entered the suite with a recorder. Jim snapped photos.
"No," Lex replied.
"Lex Luthor? Lois Lane, Daily Planet. What's your connection either to this attack on Metropolis or this man who saved it in full view of thousands of bystanders?" She asked bluntly and glanced at Superman.
"Ms. Lane, you may assure your readers that everyone at LexCorp knows this disaster for the senseless tragedy it is. My heart goes out to its victims and my hand to their protector." He pointed to Superman with his hand to him. "This 'stranger's' amazing actions no doubt prevented the loss of countless lives, meaning that whoever he may be…"
"He's Superman… you read my exclusive interview weeks ago, right?" She asked and glanced at Superman and he caught her look.
"No, I'm afraid I haven't read it," Lex lied.
During this exchange, Jim took more photographs especially Lex standing near to Superman. Both men were frowning, not liking it at all.
One of Luthor's guards, tried to take his camera. "Give me that camera!"
"Hey!" Jimmy is caught off guard and he tried to hold on to it. "Freedom of the press!"
"Jimmy don't let go," Lois hollered.
Superman tried to help, but Lex spoke up, tired of this entire scene. "This office is private property. Get out of here, all of you, NOW!"
Clark flew away with the camera. "First time he's listened to you, Luthor?" Lois quipped and watched Superman fly away.
Jimmy hollered! "My camera?"
"Good day, Security! And stay out!" Luthor hollered.
"Lex didn't appear particularly happy about this visit," Lois said as they left the suite.
As they walked toward the elevators, Jimmy is still upset by the loss of his camera.
Lois felt sad for him. "It wasn't your fault, kid," Lois said as they exited the building.
"But no pictures, no proof. Nobody has ever caught Luthor acting like that before. I'm sorry Ms. Lane."
No sooner had he said that, then Superman slowly dropped down from above and handed Jimmy his camera. He winked and returned to the sky.
As they watched him fly away, all they could hear were thank you all around them. They felt the same way as they watched the crowd of bystanders.
~o~o~
Back at the Planet:
Later that day, Lois is at her desk furiously drafting her story about Superman and Lex Luthor entitled 'Superman KOs Killer Choppers.'
Her fellow staffers were gathered around her desk congratulating her on her scoop.
Lois leaned back in her chair enjoying it. "Now, now, boys, it's not the Story of the Century. I got that exclusive weeks ago. This is the follow-up. Oh, whatever; go ahead."
"Hello Lois," Perry said and Clark stood beside him.
"Chief?" Lois is surprised he caught her ego in full display. She stood up.
"Not to interrupt the Pulitzer Awards going on your imagination, but I wanted to remind you that your new partner is right here or did you forget? Say something Kent."
"Hi," Clark said, feeling nervous for a reason.
"Quite the chatterbox, isn't he?" Perry said.
At her confused look, she did forget about him. In her mind, he is a rival for stories and saw no need to either help him or show him the ropes, but she did feel ashamed for ignoring him.
"As I told you earlier, it's only for a while, so he can learn the ropes. I wasn't ready to hire him, but he filed one hell of a discovery on the chopper sabotage. It seems the engineer at WayneTech who headed the defense contract and built the test choppers. His name is Paul Paxton and he used to go by his real name of Otto Juris, back when he worked for LexCorp."
Lois listened as she gave Clark a look and if they could kill, he would be dead. Clark caught her look but he felt frantic to get this job.
Perry continued. "There's more. LexCorp was bidding against WayneTech for this defense contract. With the choppers' spectacular failure, Luthor's company was a sure winner but now because while Kent couldn't prove a definite connection, the government nevertheless took LexCorp out of the running. That is the first dirt anyone's turned up on Luthor that I can remember. I would say that earns Kent a permanent spot. Now, get back to work." He left them alone.
Clark is looking anywhere but at Lois, then he tried to hide his joy, but he failed and whistled.
Lois came closer standing directly in his face. "Off a thin lead. How did you stumble across it?"
Time to cover his tracks. "Well… I overheard somebody and followed a hunch." He replied and watched her watching him. "What? What are you looking at?"
Her hand on her chin thinking and staring at him. "You… but I don't know why this didn't strike me earlier, but you seem familiar. Give me a minute."
"I'm sure it's nothing," he said and waited while she continued to stare.
"Wait, hang on; don't move," she said and touched his nose. Still staring at his face for a full minute, then, "Forget it." She walked away.
Whew, he blew out a breath. Dear Ma, it worked, he thought.
TBC!
~o~o~
Song Inspiration: Love Takes Time, Mariah Carey.
A/N: This update came about by the idea that they met in the bullpen, but a different time after the exclusive interview in costume as Superman which is a missing scene, but Lois is suspicious. I did enjoy adding Lex and he is the villain of the story, which I rarely write. Thanks for reading; now tell me what you think and come back next week.